More about the game

Kansas concluded the regular season with a 30-24 overall record and an 8-10 conference mark that was good for the No. 6 seed in next week's league tourney in Oklahoma City.

"That's big," Bunge said, "because we don't have to be in one of Wednesday's play-in games."

The Jayhawks' tourney opener will be at 11 a.m. Thursday against No. 3 seed Baylor. KU split with the Bears during the regular season.

Kansas finished with a 7-3 record in league games at Arrocha, but the Jayhawks were 1-7 in conference road contests. The lone victory away from home was a 2-1 decision over Baylor in Waco, Texas.

"This gives us a little boost, a little momentum going into the tournament," Bunge said. "The Big 12 tourney is so tough, and we know how explosive Baylor can be."

Kansas wasn't explosive against the Cyclones on Sunday, yet Bunge couldn't have been happier.

"We strung things together and didn't have to rely on the home run," the KU coach said.

Freshmen Val Chapple and Stevie Crisosto accounted for the other two KU hits. Crisosto drove in a run with her fifth-inning ground single.

Settlemier, who went in with the league's second-best earned run average (behind Texas' Cat Osterman), lowered her ERA to 1.21. In Big 12 games, she was 4-3 with an 0.83 ERA.

Notes: Fierros made a diving catch in left field in the fifth inning and turned it into a doubleplay by throwing out ISU's Jessica Quade, who tried to advance from first base. : Settlemier has issued only one walk in her last 25 2/3 innings. : Iowa State (23-27, 5-13 Big 12) was saddled with a Wednesday play-in game by dropping both games of the weekend series.